The Ups and Downs
by Lakeshoredrive75
Summary: A glimpse at the lives of the Deavor siblings from their childhood to the events of Incredibles 2. A sort of character study.


From the moment they could both walk and talk, they had always been best friends. Being the only two children in their family, it was always obvious to Winston and Evelyn on who they wanted to spend the day with. Whenever they weren't strolling through the park with their parents or behaving themselves at the many fancy parties being thrown at their house, the two were almost inseparable. They grew up as any pair of siblings would, building pillow forts, playing board games, and constantly getting into squabbles which sometimes got physical.

Winston was an outgoing and sociable kid. He enjoyed meeting with his father's colleagues and learning about business in general. There was no doubt that the boy was a splitting image of his father, both in looks and personality. And of course there was the admiration for superheroes. Winston had been collecting comic books and action figures ever since he was a toddler, and his love for the crime-fighting, masked beings only grew as he got older.

Evelyn was surprisingly the exact opposite of her brother. She was more introverted and mellow; a polite child who would rather observe from a distance than interact with others. During parties and gatherings, Evelyn usually hid under a table with her sketchbook, drawing various ideas down until Winston eventually found her and stayed to keep her company. From a young age she showed interest and curiosity in inventing and mechanics, often taking Winston's toy cars and robots apart to see what made them work (much to her brother's dismay). Evelyn found her comfort zone when she was with her family. Thinking back on the times when their mother and father would take she and Winston on walks near the pond by their mansion, being perched atop her father's shoulders while Winston walked hand in hand with their parents, those were the moments when she was the most happy.

Winston marveled in the fact that his sister was a genius. He always supported her throughout all her successes and failures, snuck out supplies from his father's workshop whenever she needed a tool that wasn't in her possession, and was more than happy to help her test out the gadgets. During their school years, both siblings were extraordinary students, Winston excelling in communications and business while Evelyn easily transcended in engineering and science. Still, the younger Deavor found herself struggling with the whole concept of socializing. She didn't posses the charisma that Winston had, she wasn't that much of a smooth talker, so when trying to explain her complex inventions to others, it often led to some awkward moments.

Luckily, Winston was always there to help her properly introduce her gadgets to the public. Evelyn would always explain to him what the appliance was and how it operated, so all Winston needed to do was pitch the item in a way that would get people wanting to see more, and it usually worked. In Winston's case, sometimes his outgoing and extensive personality would cause him to go off topic from time to time, usually resulting in the man speaking what was exactly on his mind before thinking or rambling for minutes on end. Evelyn took note of this and it was often her who had to remind her brother to slow down and focus. Despite the two being divergent in personality, whenever they put their minds together, they could accomplish anything.

The duo began to slightly drift apart during their young adult years. With Winston now working at the National Supers Agency and Evelyn finishing up college, the Deavors generally saw each other during the weekends or on holidays. Evelyn was always happy to see her brother and catch up with their family. At their childhood home, where their parents resided, the dinner table was always overtaken by Winston and their father discussing the NSA and all the different supers that Win got in contact with. After her brother had settled down with his Super talk and began stuffing his face with whatever was on his plate, Evelyn asked about how Devtech was doing technology-wise. Her father would give her the rundown; informing about what was working, what wasn't, what breakthroughs were discovered. Winston would always boast about how Evelyn could probably run the whole department by herself and she would disregard his remarks by playfully punching him in the arm. However deep down she figured herself to be brighter than most of the employees the company hired, she just wasn't the bragging type.

About a year later, problems started to arise. With many civilians now suing superheroes, and additionally the government, that meant more work for the NSA and Winston himself. Eventually the supers were outlawed and forced to go into hiding, disguising themselves as everyday citizens and forbidden to use their powers. The Super Relocation Program was created by the government to take care of the lawsuits and help out fellow supers who were being ridiculed and despised by the public. The crime rates in the city were rising by the month, and although the police forces were doing everything in their power to keep it under control, Winston and his father believed that having supers around would've made the world a safer place.

Unfortunately tragedy struck the Deavors when their childhood home was broken into. Their father was shot and killed when the criminals discovered him trying to call the supers for help. Winston received the news after a desperate, late night call from his mother. Hours later he showed up at Evelyn's apartment, heartbroken and at a loss for words. At first she refused to believe it, asking why in the hell would someone want to break into their home and why father didn't just use the safe room. Winston sat still on the small couch, head heavy in his hands and eyes red and sore from the tears, as his sister paced around the room, fuming and trying to come to terms with what she had just heard.

"We need to go over there tomorrow," Winston had said. "Mother is really devastated. I've never heard her sound so...broken before."

Evelyn plopped down next to her brother on the couch, breathing heavily. Anger and frustration was getting the best of her, she wanted to break something, hit something, she wouldn't even mind going after the criminals who caused this whole mess. But it was Winston who had kept her together, kept her from completely losing herself in a blind rage. Something about the feeling of his arms protectively wrapped around her, the softness in his voice when he assured her that "We're gonna be okay, Sis," made all the turmoil briefly disappear and she allowed herself to collapse into his embrace. The siblings remained on the couch, side by side until the sun rose, not one of them falling asleep.

In the aftermath of the burial, Winston and Evelyn decided to stay with their mother for the next few months. Rick Dicker, who had been Winston's mentor at the NSA and a good friend of his father's, gave his condolences to the family and allowed Win to resign early. "A good man always puts his family first," Rick told him. "You were an honorable agent and I thank you for your time and service. I wish you the best of luck, Kid."

It wasn't that long after their father that the Deavor's suffered another loss. Their mother started to get sick. It wasn't like the common cold where all you needed was plenty of water and rest, it was a more fatal illness. The physicians had done all they could, but eventually Brother and Sister had decided to remain by their mother's side until she passed. She was buried next to their father, and Evelyn left shortly after the service. She couldn't stand to be in that graveyard any longer, not again.

Not long after the burial, Winston was called on by his father's lawyers. They informed him that he and his sister were now entitled to Devtech Industries, being that they were the last remaining successors. Win was completely taken aback; he was only 25 and they wanted he and his sister to take over a billion dollar company?! In the back of his mind, he heard a voice telling him to just slow down and think. Think of all the paperwork, the managing, the meetings. But the optimistic side always made its way forefront, and he took this as yet another challenge in his life. He saw this as an opportunity to make things better, to correct the wrongs of the past, but he couldn't do it alone. He informed the lawyers that all he needed was a day to think it over, although he had already made up his mind. It was someone else who would need a little bit more persuading.

Returning home that evening, Winston searched around the many empty rooms and halls for his sister. He found her passed out at the mini bar near the kitchen, half a bottle of Scotch gone and her hand still gripped on a shot glass. The older sibling sighed in exhaustion and gently carried his limp sister to the closest bedroom, which just so happened to be his. He didn't mind at all, if anyone needed a good night's rest, drunk or not, it was Evelyn. He pulled up a chair next to the bed and held his sister's hand in his own. He knew she probably couldn't hear him, but he had to say what was on his mind.

"I know these past few months haven't been easy for us," he had said. "But, we'll get through this together. It's just you and me now, Eve. We'll be okay."

The next day, after Evelyn had sobered up, Win invited her to join him on a walk, stating that some fresh air would do her some good. He led her to the pond where they used to skip rocks in as children, a nostalgic location for both of them. It didn't take long for Evelyn to question him on why he brought her there, so he told her everything.

"You want us to run dad's company?" She shook her head. "Are you insane?!"

"No, I'm not!" Win argued back. "In fact, it's the most sane thing I've heard in a long time. With your designs and technological intellect and my knowledge with communications, we can make Devtech bigger and better than it ever was, Evelyn! We can correct the wrongs of the world! Don't you see what we could be?"

Evelyn didn't respond, keeping her disinterested gaze on the pond in front of them. Winston realized she would need more time to process the idea, so he figured it was best to leave his sister alone with her thoughts instead of just hovering over her shoulder waiting for an answer. "Give it some thought," he told her and playfully tussled her hair before heading back to the house.

Later that evening, Evelyn found her brother in their Father's old library, reading up on the many newspapers that contained articles about the multiple lawsuits dealing with superheroes. She tapped on the open door to alert her presence and when Winston looked up from the paper, she said: "I'm in."

Winston rose from his seat and approached Evelyn, a smile growing on his face. "You mean it?" He asked.

Evelyn returned the smile and shrugged. "Well, what do we have to lose? It'll be nice to show those nerds back at the lab what technology can really be capable of."

"All right!" Winston cheered and pulled her into the biggest hug he could give.

Throughout the next few years, the siblings worked endlessly in order to drive the company in the way they envisioned it. Sleepless nights, continuous meetings that felt like they went on for years, there were times when both Winston and Evelyn were so exhausted they just decided to pass out in Winston's main office. But throughout all the trial and error, the many doubts they've heard over news discussions and radio shows, the Deavor's proved them all wrong and soon Devtech was one of the richest and successful corporations in the world. Even with all the stress and chaos that came with running a company, the siblings revered the time they spent together.

About 13 years after the passing of their parents, Winston tried to introduce the idea of reinstating supers back into the public eye to other businessmen. He would be on the phone for hours, begging anyone to listen for just 5 minutes, and it often ended with an abrupt hangup or an ' _I'll have to call you back'_. Winston continued to be persistent, despite everyone, even his sister, telling him that his ideas wouldn't work.

Evelyn tolerated the superhero talk. She figured it was a way for her brother to express himself or just wanted to lend a ear to his insane ramblings. But the more she listened, the more Winston started to sound like their father; putting his faith and hopes into these people who weren't even supposed to be around anymore. It secretly terrified her. He kept talking about his plans for launching a campaign to bring the heroes back, all he needed was the perfect opportunity and the right people.

Late nights in her laboratory were common for Evelyn, but instead of fiddling with an old gadget or brainstorming up a fresh one, the woman was drawing a blank. She couldn't stop thinking about her brother's obsession with his nonexistent campaign and admiration for supers. It was clear to her that Winston was heading down the same path their father had left, and if someone didn't act soon, he would blindly follow in his father's footsteps right to the bitter end. And then...well, she didn't want to think about that. All she knew was that she couldn't afford the risk.

Evelyn paced around the room, trying to think of a way she could prevent supers from returning, if they even got a chance to come back. Changing public opinion was extremely difficult once the populace had set their minds on something. You couldn't just change a person's mind with a snap, make them see your way in the blink of an eye. Or could you? Evelyn studied hypnosis a bit in her free time, finding the entire concept of the human consciousness fascinating. If she could find a way to force people to see that having a dependence on supers was an absurd idea, the masked heroes would be forced underground for good. Mask...that gave Evelyn an idea.

A couple years later, there was an attack in Metroville. A giant spherical robot was laying destruction to the city. The story was covered on every news channel, radio station, and published in every newspaper throughout the country. And the main focus (other than the giant robot)? The team of heroes that put a stop to the metal monstrosity. Superheroes. Winston was excited beyond belief, even going as far as taking one of their private jets over to Metroville to see if the heroes would be welcomed in public again. As he feared, there came mixed emotions with the topic. It was always one side against another.

However, to his luck, there would be another enormous attack, this time right in the heart of Municiberg. A giant drill had come erupting out of the ground and was let loose around the city. Fortunately, Winston would actually witness this battle, as the drill came barreling past the limo he was in, and Frozone's ice trail not far behind.

"They're out in public again! This is our chance!" Winston shouted to his driver, pounding on the roof of the vehicle in excitement. "Follow him! Follow Frozone!"

Of course the public only saw the bad side of the situation thanks to the media, but finally after all these years, Winston connected with the three supers he needed to ignite his campaign. It began running smoothly, with Elastigirl at the front stopping crime and allowing people to see from a supers perspective thanks to the suitcams Evelyn designed. And with all the good press and support, the entire world was talking about superheroes returning to the light. Winston couldn't have been happier. That was until the true identity of the Screenslaver was revealed.

Once the EverJust had been stopped from its chaotic corse towards the city, Evelyn's true nature and intentions were discovered and she was arrested for her schemes. Winston was very grateful that his sister was alive, and he tried to shine a positive light as he left the scene. "And who knows what the future may bring? But, I have a good feeling about all of you," he had smiled at Elastigirl, Mr. Incredible, and Frozone before disappearing from the spot. As soon as he snuck past the swarming press and into his private limo, his smile quickly vanished. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he quietly muttered: "Just take me home, Tommy. Please."

Home wasn't any better. Every news channel was focusing on the attack and rescue, the footage of Evelyn being shoved in a police car was burned into Winston's head, and he figured that television wouldn't do him any good for awhile. He lie awake in bed that night staring up at the ceiling, his brain thinking of all the different reasons on why his sister did what she did. The last words she spoke, or rather yelled, at him were "It's for your own good!"

Was he secretly the cause of all this? Why would Evelyn want to destroy everything that he's worked for? Winston began to feel guilty. ' _If I had just stayed on that jet a little longer, I could've talked her down. Instead I just abandoned her. Some brother I am,'_ he thought. At this rate his assumptions were going to drive him up the wall. The only way to figure this out was to ask Evelyn herself. But would she even want to see him?

The answer was yes. The very next day, Winston visited the holding cell and confronted his sister about her actions and reasonings. The confession nearly broke him. Evelyn told him everything from her plans to her motives. She told him how she saw supers as a danger to society due to the public's dependence on them to save the day every time; how if their Father just used common sense and hid in the safe room, he and their mother would still be alive. Ever since their deaths, she desperately tried to protect Winston in the best way she saw fit; she couldn't take losing him as well.

Despite everything she had done, Winston still loved his sister. He would always love her, unconditionally, no matter how hurt or disappointed her actions left him. He knew Evelyn wasn't a bad person at heart; the trauma and grief they experienced took a toll on them both and unfortunately, Evelyn let her negative emotions control her views. Winston hoped that once Evelyn was released from prison, whenever that time would be, they would be able to better their relationship and finally talk about what had happened in the past. The kind and loving sister he grew up with was still there, he was sure of it. Until then, he would continue to manage Devtech alone and visit Evelyn whenever he could. What would happen in the future, Winston didn't know. But with the world changing for the better and supers becoming legal, he was positive that the challenges ahead would benefit him in the long run.


End file.
